Peach Drop
Peach Drop tower in Underground Atlanta
GenreNew Year's Eve event
Date(s)December 31 – January 1
FrequencyAnnually (1989-2019)
Location(s)Underground Atlanta, Woodruff Park (2018 only)
Inaugurated1989
Most recent2019
AttendanceAround 60,000 (annually)[1]
Organized byUnderground Atlanta
Websitehttps://peachdrop.com/

The Peach Drop is a New Year's Eve event held in Atlanta, Georgia. Traditionally held in Underground Atlanta, the event features the lowering of a large peach sculpture down a 138 feet (42 m) tower, symbolizing Georgia's identity as the "Peach State".

The event was held in Underground Atlanta from 1989 to 2017, and then moved to Woodruff Park for 2018 before returning to Underground Atlanta for 2019. The event was cancelled for 2020 due to the sale of Underground Atlanta and other logistical issues, as well as 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event successfully returned for 2023 but would no longer be an annual event.

History

The Peach Drop was inaugurated on December 31, 1989 to celebrate the new decade.[2] From 1989 through 2017, the event was held at Underground Atlanta. The tower from which the peach descends is located in Underground Atlanta and stands at 138 feet (42 m). The peach, constructed of fiberglass and foam, is 8 feet (2.4 m) tall and weighs approximately 800 pounds (360 kg).[3]

The Drop was moved to the Flatiron Building for the 2018 celebration with festivities held at Woodruff Park after Underground Atlanta was sold to a private developer.[4] For 2019, the event returned to Underground Atlanta.[5]

Hiatus

The 2020 Peach Drop was cancelled for in order to re-evaluate and expand the event. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms stated that the sale of Underground Atlanta complicated the event, and previous year's return for 2019 lacked "the thought and consideration and resources we should give an event."[6] The 2021 and 2022 Peach Drop events were cancelled for the second and third consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8]

The Peach Drop returned to Underground Atlanta for 2023.[9] Despite this, the Peach Drop was once again canceled for 2024. Citing a focus on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music, a spokesman commented "while a worthy tradition in the past, the Peach Drop has not been an annual event since 2018. Each year is different and we can always reevaluate next year."[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Yu, Janice. "Atlanta New Year's Eve Peach Drop returns with Ashanti, Goodie Mob". Fox 5 Atlanta.
  2. ↑ Bronstein, Scott (December 31, 1989). "Underground is Atlanta's 'Time Square' - Scott Bronstein (1/2)". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 72. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  3. ↑ Newmark, Avery. "5 flashback moments from Atlanta's Peach Drop". AJC. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  4. ↑ Stevens, Alexis. "Atlanta police ramp up security plans for new Peach Drop location". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  5. ↑ Raisa Habersham, J. D. Capelouto. "Peach Drop moving back to Underground Atlanta". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  6. ↑ Ho, Rodney. "No Peach Drop this year, breaking 30-year tradition". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  7. ↑ Murphy, Adam. "Coronavirus overshadows most New Year's Eve celebrations in the metro". CBS46 News Atlanta. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  8. ↑ "Atlanta Peach Drop on New Year's Eve to be canceled, sources say". WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta. 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  9. ↑ "It's back! Peach Drop returning to Underground Atlanta after 3-year hiatus". WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  10. ↑ Ho, Rodney (December 18, 2023). "EXCLUSIVE: Peach Drop won't be happening this year". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
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